By Tamara Schmidt, Nature Therapy Guide & Experiential Herbalist
Feeling pulled down by the world lately? I want to share how to reclaim your energy.
There have been times in my life when the world felt heavy, and I let it pull me down.
Times when the noise of other people’s opinions clouded my sense of what was possible. When systems, subtle messages, or outright cruelty told me to shrink. When I was told the best I could do in life was be a grocery cashier.
What a Grocery Checkout Taught Me About Power
And for a while, I was.
I stood at that checkout for years — smiling, running items through the till, bagging, noticing everything. Being a cashier is like being the human component of a larger machine. In the bigger grocery stores, you’re expected to function, not feel. Some people see you. Many don’t.
That job was many things. It showed me how people treat those they think are beneath them. It taught me that kindness matters, that awareness matters. And it reminded me, steadily and consistently, that there was more for me.
Because while I was a cashier, I was never only a cashier. I was a creative. A deep feeler. A woman with something to say and a path to walk.
👉 Don’t let someone else’s limited lens become the frame for your life.
How We Shrink Ourselves — Without Realizing It
Sometimes the voices that limit us aren’t just external — they’re people close to us. People struggling with their own pain, distorted versions of reality, or mental illness.
I’ve spent time in the orbit of people who were suffering deeply. And I tried to help. Hard. Maybe you’ve done that too.
But here’s the truth: you can’t carry someone to their healing. They have to want it. They have to choose it.
Emotional Energy Is Contagious
According to neuroscience, our brains co-regulate with others. Mirror neurons, emotional contagion, and the vagus nerve all influence how we feel around different people. That’s why healthy boundaries are essential, especially for sensitive people. The more sensitive you are, the better boundaries you need.
How to Support Without Losing Yourself
- Offer presence, not fixes
- Share resources — and trust they’ll use them if they want to
- Tend to your nervous system
- Know when to step back
- Let love include limits
You can care deeply and still choose yourself.
Sometimes Feminists Get Stuck in Old Roles
Even when I was married — and a feminist with all the right ideas — I found myself taking on the traditional role at home. It was easier. Expected. Unquestioned.
There’s nothing wrong with homemaking. But too often, women become the support beams of everyone else’s lives — and forget to build a life of their own.
You weren’t born just to hold up other people’s dreams.
You’re here to live a full, creative, you-sized life.
Nature Helped Me Come Back to Myself
Nature doesn’t ask me to be useful or productive. It just invites me to be.
When I’m out in the woods, or watching bees in my garden, I remember who I am. My shoulders drop. My thoughts slow down. I reconnect.
Nature & Your Brain
Research shows that time in nature restores executive function by activating the prefrontal cortex and calming the amygdala.
– Kaplan & Kaplan, Attention Restoration Theory
– Bratman et al., Stanford, 2015
Even five minutes with trees or sunlight on leaves shifts something inside. This is not a luxury. It’s medicine.
This Isn’t the End of the Story
Some people believe success is only for certain kinds of people. That your story is determined by your background or your bank account. That you should stay in your lane.
But I don’t buy that anymore.
I believe now — more than ever — is the time to rise.
To dream big.
To create a life that reflects who you really are.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
— Mary Oliver
What I Know Now:
✔ You don’t have to shrink for someone else’s comfort
✔ You’re not here to carry everyone
✔ You can rise, even when the world feels low
✔ You get to choose what story you tell
So bless the low vibes.
Call them what they are.
And rise anyway.
Want support for your next chapter?
Start with a breath. Step outside. Let the natural world remind you of your place in it.
If you’re craving a gentle, structured way to reconnect with yourself, explore my Return to Self Pocket Guide — a simple, beautiful reflection tool for staying rooted in who you are, even when the world feels loud.
If reclaiming your energy is a theme you’re living right now, you might find this supportive: How to Create a Nervous System Sanctuary for Calm, Clarity, and Lasting Change. It’s a simple guide to helping your body feel safe enough to settle and rebuild.
Sources & Further Reading
Bratman, G. N., Daily, G. C., Levy, B. J., & Gross, J. J. (2015).
“The Benefits of Nature Experience: Improved Affect and Cognition.”
Landscape and Urban Planning, 138, 41–50.
→ This is a review article that summarizes existing literature on how nature supports attention, working memory, mood, and emotion regulation.
Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015).
“Nature Experience Reduces Rumination and Subgenual Prefrontal Cortex Activation.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567–8572.
→ This is the Stanford field study with 90-minute nature walks, showing decreased rumination and reduced brain activity in areas linked to depression.
Frumkin, H., Bratman, G.N., Breslow, S.J., Cochran, B., Kahn, P.H., Lawler, J.J., … & Wood, S.A. (2017).
“Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda.” Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(7), 075001.
→ Outlines evidence linking nature exposure to improvements in attention, emotion, and physical health.
Kaplan, R. & Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective.
→ Introduced Attention Restoration Theory (ART), showing how natural environments restore focus and reduce mental fatigue.
Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation.
→ Explains how nervous system regulation is influenced by our environment and how nature can help restore balance.
